Law Enforcement

Palestinians search for martyrs and wounded in the rubble of a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, November 6, 2023. (Atia Mohammed/Flash90)

How Israel plans to whitewash its war crimes in Gaza

The Israeli army uses the veneer of internal accountability to fend off external criticism. But its record reveals how few perpetrators are punished.

By Dan Owen July 24, 2024

An Israeli soldier shoots tear gas into a crowd of Palestinian protesters in Hebron. March 31, 2013 (Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

Leading Israeli rights group to stop cooperating with the IDF

The Israeli military justice system acts only to ‘cover up unlawful acts and protect perpetrators,’ B’Tselem says, citing 25 years of experience working with the military. Palestinian rights expert welcomes the move. Israel’s best known human rights organization, B’Tselem, has lost all faith in the Israeli military justice system and will stop cooperating with it on behalf…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man May 25, 2016

Settlers throw stones at Palestinians as IDF soldiers stand by in the West Bank village of Asira al Qibliya. April 30, 2013 (Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

A vicious cycle of lawlessness in the West Bank

The IDF has all but refused to fulfill its obligation to hold Israeli settlers accountable under the law and to protect Palestinians from them. By Eyal Hareuveni For nearly 50 years the Israeli army has been treating settler violence against Palestinians as a decree of fate, some sort of force majeure that trumps it in…

By +972 Magazine June 30, 2015

Latest

IDF soldier turns a blind eye to violent settlers from Havat Maon (photo: Israeli Ta'ayush activist)

Resource: Faced with settler violence, the IDF stands idly by

A new report by human rights organization Yesh Din about how IDF soldiers act when offenses are committed by Israeli citizens against Palestinians in the West Bank. The phenomenon of “standing idly by” refers to incidents when soldiers witness violence by Israeli citizens against Palestinians and their property and do nothing to prevent the harm…

By +972 Resources June 30, 2015

Soldiers arrest a masked settler (Photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Resource: ‘Mock’ law enforcement in the West Bank

Only 7.4 percent of West Bank Israeli police investigations following complaints from Palestinian victims of offenses committed against them or their property by Israeli civilians result in indictments. The remaining investigations are closed, in most cases (some 85 percent), due to investigative failure, largely because investigators were unable to find suspects or collect enough evidence…

By +972 Resources May 30, 2015

An armed settler stands with IDF troops near Nabi Saleh [illustrative photo], 19.09.2011 (Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

Resource: Privatizating law enforcement in, around settlements

‘The Lawless Zone’ is a report by Yesh Din on the transfer of policing and security powers to the Civilian Security Coordinators (CSC) in Israel’s West Bank settlements and outposts. The report presents an analysis of the institution of the CSCs as an inherent aspect of the biased and chaotic state of Israeli law enforcement…

By +972 Resources September 19, 2014

Broder police officer stands in front of Palestinian as they wait to cross from Qalandiya checkpoint outside Ramallah, West Bank, into Jerusalem to attend the Ramadan Friday Prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, July 26, 2013. (Photo: Activestills.org)

Getting the facts straight on law enforcement in the West Bank

Law enforcement in the West Bank is a complex topic. Those who attempt to analyze it better get the background right. In his recent piece for the new, explanatory journalism website Vox, Zack Beauchamp attempts to analyze some figures on law enforcement in the West Bank, obtained by The Associated Press. He divides the number…

By Roi Maor April 22, 2014

Fact sheet: Israeli police fail to prosecute violence against Palestinians

Yesh Din publishes research and tracking of police investigations into allegations of violence against Palestinians perpetrated by Israeli citizens. The updated figures show that between 2005 and 2013 just 8.5 percent of investigation files ended in the indictment of Israelis suspected of harming Palestinians and their property. In the vast majority of cases, the investigators…

By +972 Resources July 24, 2013

Palestinian injured in firebomb attack in West Bank August 17 2012 (Activestills)

Attacks on Palestinians highlight history of lax enforcement on Jewish extremists

Recent violent attacks on Palestinians by Jewish extremists highlight the deficient law enforcement and weak penalties imposed on perpetrators of similar past attacks Two recent incidents have brought attention to the issue of attacks on Palestinian civilians by Jewish extremists. On Thursday, a firebomb was thrown at a Palestinian taxi in the West Bank, injuring…

By Roi Maor August 20, 2012